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Summary: The return of Serge...
Review: ...is mostly a good thing--Dorsey has brought back almost all of the characters in the Serge universe and also has included a paralled plot in the book that fills us in on Serge's origins--the book also ends with a better coda that was in the last Serge story--for those of you that haven't read any of Dorsey's books, they are in the mold of Carl Hiaasen humourous Florida crime novels but with some Hunter S. Thomspon/P.J. O'Roarke craziness mixed in--this one is mainly about a legendary jewel heist and how it affects Serge personally--I have to admit I didn't laugh as much as the previous books in the series, there was even one gag that I had seen previously on Saturday Night Live! But all in all, this is one series that I will always read mainly as EVERYONE in the book is messed up: women, men, cops, robbers; and you also learn about Florida history in a painless way--as Serge's sidekick Lenny would say: HIGH-ly recommended!
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Summary: Aw, Man, It's F*ck*n' Awesome!
Review: Cadillac Beach is as brilliantly wild and insane as it's lead character, the frighteningly too hard to contain Serge Storms. Yes, it does jump around through time, but if you have trouble following the storyline because of this, then this book is way beyond your mental capabilities and should be set down slowly, gently...thatta boy, now walk away from the smart and funny novel. Don't look back. Go buy yourself a nice comic book. I once followed the Fletch and Flynn series by Gregory McDonald religiously, but I'm now glad to have graduated to the grander, zanier, bloodier stories of Tim Dorsey. Can't you just see Billy Bob Thorton pulling off Serge so well in the too-short, not-as-good-as-the-book but still wildly popular movies? That should give you some idea of what you're getting into if you haven't read any of Tim's books yet. Dark, manic, goofy-ass adult fun! How does he keep all the plotlines intact in his head while he's writing this stuff? Bravo! Brilliant! Great research! You scare me a little, Mr. Dorsey...do it some more!
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Summary: All but one man died...and they say he ran away...
Review: Cadillac Beach is Tim Dorsey's sixth Florida novel about Serge and Lenny, Florida's own Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, as they tilt, no, shoot at windmills and other Florida sources of irritability. All six novels are filled with Dorsey's frenetic energy and a dozen laughs a page. Three of Tim's previous novels are, in THIS Florida writer's opinion, masterpieces: Hammerhead Ranch, Triggerfish, and Orange Crush. With Cadillac, Tim takes a stab at the multi-plotted, multi-chronologized architectonic novel, sort of a John Dos Passos USA except it's FLA. Tim doesn't make any mistakes here and the novel is a welcome fix for Dorsey addicts. However, there's not even ONE mention of the old TV series "Everglades," I believe it was on CBS, I do not remember the actor's name but he played a park ranger in the Glades, riding on an airboat, chasing poachers or commies or something. NOT ONE MENTION. I'm not going to remove any of my five stars, however. Except for this one flaw, Cadillac Beach is seamless, perfect, hilarious, and even has a TUNE, that's Totally Unexpected Noir Ending. Read Cadillac Beach or I'll send Serge and Lenny to your house. (Love that Lenny!)
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Summary: Don't read this one without fastening your mental seat belt!
Review: I had occasion several years ago to talk with a blues singer, a man of genteel demeanor whose congenital blindness was to a small extent balanced by an uncanny ability to play complex guitar lines and a singing voice that rang with rough joy and inevitable sorrow. He claimed to be 89 years old at the time that I met him, and he looked every day of it. The man told of playing rough juke joints, where a slow night was defined by a low homicide count. Often, he said, he would hear bodies being knocked over, chairs hitting solid objects and occasional gunfire. When that occurred, he would stand up and, guided by air currents, head for what he hoped was an open door, calling out, "Please, nobody hurt this poor ol' blind man" as if it was a litany. Somehow it worked.I think of this conversation every time I encounter Serge Storms. Storms is the unconventional protagonist who has sprung from the muse of Tim Dorsey, and who is back among us in CADILLAC BEACH. As with his other books, CADILLAC BEACH functions as a vehicle for Dorsey's biting satirical commentary on south Florida and the folks who call it home. As with his other novels, nothing in this one is true, but all of it is accurate. Storms is most likely afflicted with a mental illness, though I doubt it could be properly diagnosed. It would probably be best classified under affective disorders, characterized by hyperactivity, looseness of association and delusions. His main contribution to society is to keep things stirred up, and he does an admirable job of this here. Like the blues singer I described, he somehow manages to walk unscathed through the cataclysm that swirls around him. CADILLAC BEACH centers on an actual event, a 1964 jewel heist that involved a nationally known surfing champion, amongst other lesser lights. Storms's grandfather was apparently somewhat tenuously involved in the aftermath of the heist, and Storms believes that he was murdered as a result. He begins a search for his grandfather's old friends, all of whom advise him to leave well enough alone. Storms, of course, cannot do this, as readers who have encountered him before well know. Naturally Storms's method of searching is somewhat convoluted, involving, among other things, a gonzo touring agency, the abduction of a Federally protected witness and an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro once and for all. Dorsey's hyperkinetic style of writing is an acquired taste; he frequently paints himself into absurd corners and then moves walls to get out --- and at the conclusion of his work, including this one, there is a feeling that the ending is the result of a "time to wrap this up" impulse rather than a natural denouement. What cannot be denied, however, is that Dorsey's writing is truly funny, laced with subtle irony and frequent belly laugh-inducing pratfalls. The juxtaposition of Miami between 1964 and the present is first-rate, and Storms's tour spiel is fascinating as he points out landmarks of note while bemoaning the loss of others. CADILLAC BEACH, in effect, contains the genesis of a tour book that will never be written, and that is a pity. Along the way Storms functions as a bit of a court jester --- his comments about Miami and South Florida are, more often than not, right on the mark, and always funny; his plan for the liberation of Cuba, and the revenge of the Cuban exiles upon Castro, is absolutely perfect. If the symmetry that marks the conclusion of the novel is a bit of a stretch, it's just Dorsey reminding the reader that this is, indeed, a work of fiction. Not that we need any such reminders. Dorsey is rapidly becoming the hyperkinetic king of Florida alternative historians, and CADILLAC BEACH is the latest reason why. Don't read it without fastening your mental seat belt, however. You're going to need it. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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Summary: I want to have Serge A. Storms' babies!!!!
Review: I love this writer...I love the characters...and I love the devine lunacy behind each and every one of Dorsey's books!
The Sting Ray Shuffle is, in my humble opinion, the BEST of the best [of Dorsey's books]...I laughed my butt off! But I do agree that ALL of Dorsey's books are hilarious. The twists and turns and the flow of the story, the romps through the Sunshine state from the Atlantic coast to the Gulf coast to the Panhandle...its all fast paced and funnier than you can imagine!
If these stories don't crack you up you might want to consider therapy!
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Summary: Dorsey is the master of this genre!
Review: I read this type book quite often and consider myself something of an expert on these authors...Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, et al. Tim Dorsey has emerged as the best of the lot. And this particular book is the best he has produced. This is a book that I will read again and give to others.
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Summary: Maniac on the loose in Florida!
Review: I swear, Serge A. Storms has to be the funniest character I have ever read. As I was reading this book my wife kept kept asking me what I was laughing so hard about. Obviously, the bounds of reality are stretched a bit as this sociopath careens around Florida on the search for lost gems while dodging the mob, the police, and an unknown assassin. But Serge's sharp insights into the human condition are like a slap in the face coming from a total psycho. In the end, the unlikely Master Plan comes together in a very clever conclusion. A breezy summer read for January!
Rating:
Summary: Great entertainment
Review: Launch a business, solve grandfather mystery, embarrass Castro, restore CIA pride, decimate mob, help Chamber of Commerce, find gems, and get the Today Show to Miami. While Serge attempts to complete this to-do list, you're in for an incredibly fun ride. You'll have a rip-roaring good time reading this one. There is very few authors (I mean very, very few) that can make me laugh out loud while reading. One of the most entertaining and hilarious books I've read. Highly, Highly recommended.
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Summary: Great fun and lots of laughs
Review: Over the last couple of days, I finished Cadillac Beach by Tim Dorsey. And if you've read (and enjoyed) any of Dorsey's prior novels, you'll also like this one. It's great stuff... For those of you who haven't read this series, it's hard to explain. It's a Florida crime spree novel, with an abundance of humor and accurate observations on Florida life and culture. The main character, Serge Storms, is an escapee from a mental institution who has a rap sheet a mile long and a very unique view of life. The *very* basic plot in this book is that Serge is trying to track down the missing diamonds from the 1964 NYC Museum Of Natural History heist, along with proving that his grandfather didn't commit suicide (but was murdered). And trust me, they are related. Interspered throughout, you have mob kidnappings and killings, guided tours of Miami's seedy underbelly, invasions of Cuba, FBI and CIA involvement, The Beetles, Flipper, and various other random items that actually make sense in the story. Think Carl Hiaasen without limits, and you'll start to get a feel for where Dorsey goes with his writing. Great fun!
Rating:
Summary: Take This Killer Tour of South Florida
Review: Serge E. Storms is back and this time he's angry. Well, I guess not just this time, but Serge is looking to solve the mystery of his father's death and maybe make a little money doing it. He also has a brilliant idea that will bring all his unusual talents together, if you consider murder and a freakish knowledge of South Florida trivia a talent. So Serge, along with his pot head sidekick Lenny, start a new venture, giving tours of the backside and underworld of Florida while offering an interesting twist, help solve his father's murder and win a prize. So with Cadillac Beach, Dorsey reinforces his image of Hiiasen on speed by upping the pace and increasing the body count with fun results. Dorsey adds a twist this time by going back in time to give us a look at the misfortunes of his father. Even the ending though kind of corny, offered a few surprises and more than a couple laughs.
For the most part you can count on Dorsey for a fun ride and this time was no exception. While it can be tough to keep all the characters straight and Dorsey offers plenty of oddball characters that could almost center there own stories. This wasn't the best of Dorsey's books but it did offer us some interesting new twists in Serge's madcap story
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